Possible VA Coronavirus Patient Attends George Mason: University

RICHMOND, VA — The Virginia Department of Health on Monday said two patients in central Virginia tested negative for the novel coronavirus infection that originated last month in Wuhan, China. Test results for a third patient in northern Virginia, have not yet been released. Five cases of the illness have been confirmed in the United States, and several possible cases are being investigated across the country.

The patient still waiting for test results is a student at George Mason University who does not live on campus and is “self-isolating,” the university said in a statement. The student had recently traveled to China.

“At this time, the current risk to the public and the Mason community remains low, and the university has been advised that additional precautions are not necessary,” the university said. “We understand there are concerns among our community about attending classes or coming to work, where this student may have been on campus, and who they might have come into contact with on campus. The local health department is conducting an investigation and will contact anyone whom they suspect to be at risk of exposure and illness."

The death toll in China from the virus has risen to 82, with about 2,700 cases of the disease confirmed in the country. As of Monday afternoon, the five U.S. cases have been confirmed in Chicago, Washington state, Maricopa County, Arizona, and two in southern California. To date, about 100 samples from 26 states have been sent to the CDC for testing, NBC News reports.

The new virus is called 2019-nCoV by disease experts.

"VDH is closely monitoring and investigating reports of illness potentially associated with novel coronavirus," according to the department's website. "A Person Under Investigation (PUI) is an individual who meets both clinical and epidemiologic criteria for 2019-nCoV. The information gathered during this investigation helps public health determine if they have novel coronavirus, or if their symptoms may be caused by another respiratory pathogen.

Every Thursday the Virginia Department of Health will post the number of patients under investigation who meet criteria for 2019-nCoV testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the VDH novel coronavirus webpage. Specific details about these patients will not be provided.

"Public health is working closely with these patients and anyone who was in close contact to prevent the spread of illness," the agency said.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, and trouble breathing, and can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.

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The patients in Los Angeles and Orange counties are both returning travelers from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the virus, according to health officials. The Orange County patient is in isolation at a hospital and in "good condition," according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The Los Angeles County patient, confirmed Sunday, sought medical treatment after not feeling well, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Closer to home, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services investigated a possible case of coronavirus infection in the state which turned out not to be the new disease, the department confirmed Sunday. The patient had mild respiratory symptoms and is at Duke University Hospital. Officials said the patient recently passed through Wuhan, China, before returning to North Carolina via Raleigh-Durham International Airport Jan. 23.

According to the CDC, coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses that cause illnesses both in humans and animals. In rare cases, animal coronaviruses can evolve to infect people. The new virus is officially referred to as "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV."

While there is currently no vaccine for this novel coronavirus, you can take preventative actions every day to help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Clinicians in Virginia who see a patient who shows signs of the coronavirus should Obtain a detailed travel history for patients with fever and acute respiratory illness.

If a patient meets the criteria of a patient under investigation in association with the outbreak of the coronavirus:

• Ask the patient to wear a surgical mask.
• Evaluate the patient in a private room with the door closed, ideally in an airborne infection
• isolation room if available.
• Use standard, contact and airborne precautions, and eye protection (e.g., goggles or face
• shield).
• Immediately notify infection control personnel and your local health department.

At this time, only the CDC laboratories in Atlanta have the capabilities to test for the coronavirus, though it is expected that state public health laboratories will be able to test soon.

Researchers around the globe are still determining precisely how the virus spreads. Many patients in the Wuhan outbreak had visited a large seafood and animal market, but a growing number of patients have no connection.

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